Was Hamlet Insane?

A detailed Summary of Was Hamlet Insane?


One of the most asked questions concerning Hamlet, is whether or not during the play he was actually insane or merely acting. This issue is confusing because Hamlet states that he will act insane to exact revenge upon Claudius after he has met his father's supposed ghost. However, there are many times during the play where it seems Hamlet could not possibly be acting. But while it is possible to be sane and act insane, by definition it is impossible to be insane and act sane because an insane person lacks the ability to reason and tell the difference between right and wrong. Since Hamlet exhibited both these characteristics throughout the play, it is obvious that he was sane.

Hamlet displays the ability to reason on several occasions. The first display occurs in the beginning, when Hamlet expresses his doubts about whether the ghost he saw was really his father: "The spirit that I have seen / May be the devil, and the devil hath power / T' assume a pleasing shape," (2.2.627-629), and whether the supposed ghost was merely telling him what he wanted to hear: "Yea, and perhaps, / out of my weakness and my melancholy, / ... / Abuses me to damn me," (2.2.629-632). Hamlet has the sense to question the identi


Hamlet again questions the lawfulness of killing, when he has the chance to kill Claudius after Guildenstern and Rosencrantz leave, but doesn't because Claudius is praying, and killing him would send his soul to heaven: "A villain kills my father, and for that, / I, his sole son, do this same villain send / To heaven," (3.3.81-83). Hamlet understands that even though Claudius is a murderer, if Hamlet kills him in cold blood, Hamlet will send Claudius' soul to heaven and condemn his own. Hamlet understands that in the eyes of God his actions would be wrong.

One scene of it comes near the circumstance

Hamlet states that death will occur when it wants to and there is nothing you can do about it. His statements show that Hamlet has the ability to reason and contemplate death.



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Approximate Word count = 1135
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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